R&J, a gender-reversed Romeo and Juliet

Superior acting, elegant set design, thought-provoking role reversals -- GO SEE THIS! It is fantastic. So beautifully executed.... full review

#SeeItLA - Mine is Yours has a well-cut, fast paced R&J that gets you from beginning to end with no intermission. I can't say that I had any huge epiphanies or insights into the story by seeing it gender switched, but it was definitely intriguing to see these well-known scenes played from the perspective of the opposite gender. In particular, my favorites were the scene where Romea goes to the Friar after slaying Tybalt and then subsequently when Julian goes to the Friar for a solution to marrying Paris. Both of those played very well with the switched genders. Dane Oliver, as Julian, Mary Ellen Schneider, as Romea, Alan Blumenfeld, as nurse, and Cj Merriman, as Tybalt, all delivered impressive performances. My only complaint is that I would... full review

Mine is Yours' production of R&J was wonderfully paced, nuanced by the actors, and a refreshing opportunity to see Shakespeare's characters interact without gender restrictions. By switching the gender roles, the company found more of a middle ground of gender equality. Rather than having men play at what it means to be woman and women play at what it means to be a man, the company of actors played each character as a person. This highlighted the fact that anyone, man or woman, can feel and experience everything in every character's journey regardless of sex. Wonderful performances!... full review

R&J was a fascinating take on a story I've seen 100 times, but found myself with a renewed curiosity on this one. I've seen cross-dressed Shakespeare before, but the concept of actually switching all of the genders (including reversed pronouns) was novel to me. Mary Ellen Schneider plays "Romea" with power yet femininity, and Dane Oliver plays "Julian" with the guilessness of a young boy, but still an undeniable masculinity. These machinations force a very interesting reexamination of the gender politics of the play, especially in the relationship between Julian and the now Lady Capulet. The palpable chemistry between Schneider and Oliver drives the story very nicely, making the love scenes quite provocative (aided in no small part by the co... full review

BEST balcony scene ever, BEST death scene ever, Best " one night together" ever, Best chemistry between R & J ever. The gender reversal is amazing to see and hear. DON'T miss this production. You'll thank me. ... full review

This was a really interesting portrayal of Romeo and Juliet. Let's face it- Romeo is basically a teenage girl, so the idea of him being portrayed by a woman is not that far off. What was surprising was the relationship between the Montague clan- Benvolia, Mercutia, and Romea. This trio of ladies having fun, drinking, being crass, and genuinely sharing love for one another was really well done. The relationship of Capulet being an overbearing and abusive mother to a sensitive son was also surprising and makes you really think about the original text and why we accept that when it's both a mother and father to a daughter. I was sad to see Tybalt's character cut so small, but what can you do with only 90 min? This show would be worth explorin... full review

If tough women and gentle men don’t sound like the dramatis personae of any Shakespeare play you’ve ever seen or read, the time has come to meet the characters who populate R&J, A Gender-Reversed Romeo And Juliet, a production so all-around superb that it is “Hollywood Fringe” in name only. Click on "Original Article' to read my full review at StageSceneLA.com... full review

Love LOve LOVED IT!!! Twas a breath of fresh Shakepearean air. YAY! Let me start out by saying that I am very picky w/my Shakespeare. And Romeo & Juliet has NEVER been one of my favorites. The young lovers always come across so whiney -- but NOT here! THANK YOU! Performing the Bard since I was 6 & diving into his works as soon as I was old enough to read-- tis very hard to find a quality production of Shakespeare in this town. Usually either the actors don't understand what they are saying OR the director who cut it down doesn't understand it & cuts pieces of the story that are necessary. Fortunately, THIS production does NONE of those things! The gender reversal made sooooo many things resonate sooo much more! And the connection betwee... full review

I was very impressed with this memorable take on the Shakespeare classic. Having caught the original run back in November of last year, I found this edit to move the play along more swiftly, but still allow for beautiful and quiet moments between the eponymous lovebirds with Mary Ellen Schneider shining again as Romea and Dane Oliver stepping in and impressing as Julian. Their chemistry with one another is truly terrific, as is the rest of the cast (a few whom do double-duty in this eight-person show). With a unique stripped-down set design and a beautiful soundtrack, this production stretches gender stereotypes to a delightful extent and I couldn't recommend this production any more highly!... full review

I loved R & J especially because of passionate and engaging performance that the actors delivered within the context of reversed sex roles. Congratulations to the actors and the director for inviting us to see the world and the human emotions of love and hatred through a more modern and progressive perspective. Bravo!... full review